Abstract In order to meet the IPCC recommendation for an 80% cut in CO2 emissions by 2050, industries will be required to drastically reduce their emissions. To meet these targets, technologies such as carbon capture and storage (CCS) must be part of the economic set of decarbonisation options for industry. A systematic review of the literature has been carried out on four of the largest industrial sectors (the iron and steel industry, the cement industry, the petroleum refining industry and the pulp and paper industry) as well as selected high-purity sources of CO2 from other industries to assess the applicability of different CCS technologies. Costing data have been gathered, and for the cement, iron and steel and refining industries, these data are used in a model to project costs per tonne of CO2 avoided over the time period extending from first deployment until 2050. A sensitivity analysis was carried out on the model to assess which variables had the greatest impact on the overall cost of wide-scale CCS deployment for future better targeting of cost reduction measures. The factors found to have the greatest overall impact were the initial cost of CCS at the start of deployment and the start date at which large scale deployment is started, whilst a slower initial deployment rate after the start date also leads to significantly increased costs.
This research examines the implementation of green industry practices at PT Semen Indonesia (Persero) Tbk Tuban Plant and its contribution to the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). As a state-owned multinational corporation in the cement industry, PT Semen Indonesia (Persero) Tbk Tuban Plant plays a significant role in integrating environmental sustainability into its business operations. Through a qualitative exploratory approach, data was collected through in-depth interviews, observation, and documentation study. The analysis revealed that the company has implemented various green industry practices across its operations, including the adoption of Alternative Fuel and Raw Material (AFR), Waste Heat Recovery Power Generation (WHRPG) technology, and community development programs. These practices align with several SDGs, particularly SDGs 7, 9, 11, 12, 13, 14, and 15, focusing on clean energy, innovation, sustainable cities, responsible consumption and production, climate action, life below water, and life on land. The research highlights PT Semen Indonesia (Persero) Tbk Tuban Plant as a pioneering entity in environmental management and community empowerment within the cement industry, contributing significantly to sustainable development efforts.
The cement industry is a major contributor to carbon emissions, responsible for 5–8% of global emissions. This industry is expanding, particularly in emerging economies, and it is expected that CO2 emissions will rise by 4% by 2050. To address this critical concern, this paper identifies ten factors that contribute to carbon emissions in the cement production process through an extensive literature review and prioritises these factors using the Bayesian best–worst method. The data was gathered by conducting a methodical online survey with seven cement industry professionals in Bangladesh, with the aim of gaining insights into the emerging economy. The results illustrate that fuel burning and electricity consumption are the two greatest contributors to CO2 emissions in the cement production process. This research provides guidelines for cement industries in emerging economies on how to reduce CO2 emissions as well as suggesting areas of future research for sustainable cement production.
Nataliya Tkachenko, Kevin Tang, Matthew McCarten
et al.
Cement producers and their investors are navigating evolving risks and opportunities as the sector’s climate and sustainability implications become more prominent. While many companies now disclose greenhouse gas emissions, the majority from carbon-intensive industries appear to delegate emissions to less efficient suppliers. Recognizing this, we underscore the necessity for a globally consolidated asset-level dataset, which acknowledges production inputs provenance. Our approach not only consolidates data from established sources like development banks and governments but innovatively integrates the age of plants and the sourcing patterns of raw materials as two foundational variables of the asset-level data. These variables are instrumental in modeling cement production utilization rates, which in turn, critically influence a company’s greenhouse emissions. Our method successfully combines geospatial computer vision and Large Language Modelling techniques to ensure a comprehensive and holistic understanding of global cement production dynamics.
Richard Caron, Ravi A. Patel, Andreas Bogner
et al.
This study focuses on a multiscale characterization of basic creep behavior of two AAS creep mixes with high (hS) and low (lS) slag content, loaded at 28 days. Nano-indentation tests are performed to investigate creep properties of individual phases and classical creep tests to analyze the creep behavior of concrete. An analytical multiscale micromechanics-based model is applied to downscale creep properties of the reaction product foam at nano-scale to compare it with results from nano-indentation. The creep at nanoscale of reaction product foam is modeled with a compliance function considering only deviatoric component consisting of Kelvin–Voigt chain for short term behavior and logarithmic function to account for long-term behavior. Comparing downscaled compliance with creep modulus measured from nano-indentation it is concluded that nano-indentation captures long-term behavior of reaction product foam. In terms of two mix tested, while at nano-scale mix hS has a higher creep modulus, presence of more capillary porosity and micro-cracks counteracts this and as a result concrete with mix hS shows higher creep. The creep modulus of AAS product foam obtained from nano-indentation is significantly lower compared to the OPC products. Additionally, higher amount of gel water and fewer crystalline secondary products could explain higher creep observed for AAS concrete compared to OPC concrete.
Brhanu Teka Gebrezgabher, Mulu Berhe Desta, Fentahun Abebaw Belete
Abstract Using of agricultural residues for briquette production attracts the attention of many researchers to overcome the problems related to the usage of fossil fuels as an energy source. This study focused on the production of briquettes from sesame stalks as an alternative fuel in Cement industries. The briquettes were produced from carbonized sesame stalks using paper waste, cow dung, and a mixture of cow dung and paper waste binders. The data analysis of the charcoal briquettes was carried out using two-way ANOVA without replication using Microsoft Excel. The binder ratio and binder types have a significant effect on the density and shatter resistance. Briquettes made using carbonized sesame stalks have the highest density of 1.133 g/cm3 at 5% of cow dung binder. The highest shatter resistance having a value of 91.00% was found in carbonized briquette prepared using 25% cow dung binder. Six briquettes were selected for proximate and calorific value analysis. The highest heating value of the produced briquettes was 4794.38 kcal/kg at 5% of cow dung binder, which has moisture, ash, fixed carbon, and volatile matter of 6.54, 14, 30.7, and 48.76% respectively. Carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, and sulfur contents of a briquette, which has the highest heating value, were recorded at 46.34, 2.50, 50.89, 0.27, and 0.00% respectively. Production of a briquette from carbonized sesame stalks using 5% cow dung binder is suitable from economic and environmental points of view.
The different temperatures associated with the climatic conditions of each continent and each biome directly influence the exposure properties of each material used in each region, including hydraulic cement, an important material widely employed in bridges, viaducts, and buildings worldwide. Despite being prepared at elevated temperatures, hydraulic cement is often stored and used under ambient conditions, posing challenges, particularly in tropical environments. The present work investigates the effects of different temperatures (10 °C, 30 °C, and 50 °C) on the deterioration of hydraulic cement and microstructural and mechanical behaviors. Kinect investigations were carried out to advance a chemical formalism of the deterioration of cement stored at different temperatures in a tropical climate. Signs of chemical deterioration of cement samples were investigated by XRD and SEM analyses, which revealed the presence of essential phases on the surface of the mortars, such as Portlandite, CSH, and Ettringite. The study incorporated gray residue into the mortar mixtures in two forms: addition (type B mortar) and substitution (type C mortar). For type B, 10 % of gray residue was added as an additive without reducing the cement content, while for type C, 10 % of the cement was replaced with gray residue to lower environmental impact. The presence of gray residue contributed to the hydration kinetics and microstructure, enhancing the formation of CSH phases, which are critical for mechanical strength. Mechanical performance revealed that type A (reference mortar) suffered a 6 % reduction in compressive strength after 90 days of storage at ambient conditions, while type B showed a 23 % increase due to the addition of ash residue, and type C, although with a 33 % reduction, balanced lower cement use with environmental benefits and mitigated losses related to chemical deterioration. Finally, sustainable mortars showed better mechanical performance than traditional ones, especially when the cement was stored at 50 °C, as predicted by the kinetic formalism (R² = 0.99 across storage conditions).
Sebastián Rojas-Innocenti, Enrique Baeyens, Alejandro Martín-Crespo
et al.
This paper presents a scenario based robust optimization framework for short term energy scheduling in electricity intensive industrial plants, explicitly addressing uncertainty in planning decisions. The model is formulated as a two-stage Mixed Integer Linear Program (MILP) and integrates a hybrid scenario generation method capable of representing uncertain inputs such as electricity prices, renewable generation, and internal demand. A convex objective function combining expected and worst case operational costs allows for tunable risk aversion, enabling planners to balance economic performance and robustness. The resulting schedule ensures feasibility across all scenarios and supports coordinated use of industrial flexibility assets, including battery energy storage and shiftable production. To isolate the effects of market volatility, the framework is applied to a real world cement manufacturing case study considering only day-ahead electricity price uncertainty, with all other inputs treated deterministically. Results show improved resilience to forecast deviations, reduced cost variability, and more consistent operations. The proposed method offers a scalable and risk-aware approach for industrial flexibility planning under uncertainty.
A. Villarreal, P. F. J. Cano-Barrita, F. M. Leon-Martinez
et al.
Chemical reactions resulting from the ingress of carbonates into the cement matrix modify the properties of its pore solution, as well as its pore distribution and size. These changes lead to corrosion of the steel in reinforced concrete. The nature of conventional testing for the estimation of carbonation in cement-based materials is time-consuming and destructive. This paper presents a set of non-destructive ultrasound-based indexes, obtained solely from non-linear and linear analyses of ultrasonic signals, for measuring the carbonation of Portland cement pastes. Class 30RS cement pastes with three water/cement ratios by weight (0.4, 0.5, and 0.6) were considered. Carbonation was carried out for 120 days with a constant CO2 level of 4% by volume under controlled temperature and humidity, considering a unidirectional carbonation, parallel to the longitudinal axis of the samples. The level of carbonation was validated by FTIR measurements. From these analyses, different indexes with high correlation were obtained, estimated only from the ultrasonic signals and as a function of the days of exposure to carbonation, as well as of the percentage of carbonation. Further study is required for the evaluation of the reliability of these promising indexes for the determination of carbonation in cement-based materials.
High costs of green hydrogen and of carbon capture, utilization, and sequestration (CCUS) have hindered policy ambition and slowed real-world deployment, despite their importance for decarbonizing hard-to-abate sectors, including cement and methanol. Given the economic challenges of adopting CCUS in cement and green hydrogen in methanol production separately, we propose a renewable-powered co-production system that couples electrolytic hydrogen and CCUS through molecule exchange. We optimize system configurations using an hourly-resolved, process-based model incorporating operational flexibility, and explore integrated strategies for plant-level deployment and CO2 source-sink matching across China. We find that co-production could reduce CO2 abatement costs to USD 41-53 per tonne by 2035, significantly lower than approximately USD 75 for standalone cement CCUS and over USD 120 for standalone renewable-based methanol. Co-production is preferentially deployed at cement plants in renewable-rich regions, potentially reshaping national CO2 infrastructure planning. This hydrogen-CCUS coupling paradigm could accelerate industrial decarbonization and scaling for other applications.
Alexandre Sac-Morane, Katerina Ioannidou, Manolis Veveakis
et al.
Predicting the evolving microstructure of hydrating cement is essential for understanding and modeling its mechanical property development. Physics-based continuum approaches offer a rigorous framework for capturing the thermodynamics of dissolution and precipitation processes at the microstructural scale. In this work, we present an adapted Phase-Field (PF) model for cement hydration that resolves key physical inconsistencies in existing PF formulations by introducing a revised free-energy potential and distinct equilibrium constants for clinker dissolution and hydrate precipitation. The resulting PF framework reproduces microstructural evolution, yielding realistic porosity levels and continuous phase boundaries in close agreement with experimental observations. The predicted hydrated microstructures are subsequently used in a computational homogenization scheme to evaluate the elastic response of the material. The PF-derived mechanical properties show good agreement with experimental trends, supporting the ability of the proposed framework to consistently link hydration chemistry, microstructure formation, and the resulting mechanical response.
The production of synthetic materials emits harmful gases, driving researchers to seek eco-friendly alternatives, leading to increased demand for natural fiber-based composites in various industries. With advantages like cost-effectiveness, renewability, and biodegradability, natural fiber reinforced composites gain popularity in concrete applications. Their use in concrete has gained global acceptance for its smaller carbon footprint, reduced energy consumption, and minimized wastage. This research aims to evaluate the suitability of Eulaliopsis binata (EB) fiber in mortar and concrete applications. Mortar samples were prepared using different proportions of alkaline-treated EB fibers (0%, 0.25%, 0.5%, 0.75%, 1% and 1.25% by total weight of mortar) in a cement-sand-water mixture with a 1:1:0.35 ratio. Additionally, concrete with a mix proportion of 1:2.15:3.13 (cement: fine aggregate: coarse aggregate) and a water-cement ratio of 0.618 was prepared. The flexural strength test was conducted using plain concrete as well as concrete with untreated and epoxy-treated EB fiber bars of varying diameters. The results revealed that EB fiber-reinforced mortar exhibited a notable increase in flexural and splitting tensile strength, with a 10.85% and 6.23% improvement compared to plain mortar at 0.75% EB fiber content, while compressive strength decreased. Similarly, concrete reinforced with untreated and epoxy-coated EB fiber bars of 14 mm diameter demonstrated 12.32% and 13.27% higher flexural strength, respectively, than that of unreinforced concrete. These results highlight the potential for affordable green concrete production, supporting sustainable infrastructure development. The EB fiber usage presents an encouraging pathway for environmentally conscious construction practices with reduced environmental impact.
Materials of engineering and construction. Mechanics of materials
Leandro Magalhães, Otávio Conde, Luís Mesquita
et al.
The conscientious utilization of natural resources and the efficient waste management have become a matter of great concern in recent years due to the harmful impacts on the environment. The construction sector presents itself as one of the sectors that most contributes to raw materials consumption and waste generation, demanding the investigation of more sustainable and eco-friendly building materials, where the valorisation of wastes originated from other industries can be promising. Following the sustainability concept in construction materials, this work investigates the potential use of textile waste in cement-based lightweight construction material, evaluating the fire reaction of the material using the cone calorimeter equipment. The samples were tested at three different radiant heat fluxes (35 kW/m², 50 kW/m², 75 kW/m²) to simulate different fire situations. For the highest heat flux, the lightweight construction element with textile waste incorporation showed a Heat Release Rate Average ≤ 18 kW/m², a peak Heat Release Rate Average ≤ 60 kW/m², and a Total Heat Release Average ≤ 33 MJ/m². These results reveal a very satisfactory fire behaviour compared to other materials and show the suitability of using textile waste as lightweight cement-based materials.
Materials of engineering and construction. Mechanics of materials
Objectives: Anbar Governorate is witnessing a great development in construction industries, especially Fallujah District. This study aims to identify the importance of construction industries and the extensive use of their products. The number of construction industries facilities reached (114) facilities distributed throughout the district’s areas, and (1586) individuals working in these industries.Methodology: The current study adopted the analytical-deductive approach in order to provide the required data on the phenomena and delve into the surrounding conditions, and the deductive approach in addition to the field study of the current reality for the year 2022.Results: the results showed that the area includes a number of various construction industry facilities distributed across the district’s regions, employing (1586) individuals, and most of the production is consumed in Anbar Governorate, and the rest is exported to other governorates. The production components are very widely available in the governorate due to the availability of a large area and the many deposits present in it, especially with the availability of raw materials such as limestone, sand, gravel, capital, market, labor, energy sources, fuel, and transportation methods. Its products have been able to provide most of the building materials needed for all urban, economic, and infrastructure projects. These industries are linked to population growth and urban expansion.Conclusion: The number of construction industries in Fallujah District reached (114) factories in 2022, and the largest percentage was for private sector factories, while the public sector only has two factories out of the total construction industries in the district.in fourth place, then asphalt factories in the fifth stage, gravel crushing and sand screening factories in sixth place, Bork factories in seventh place, then black and white cement factories in the eighth stage, and the thermal brick factory in last place.
History of scholarship and learning. The humanities
Abstract Limestone is one of the essential raw materials in the cement, paint, steel, ceramic, glass, chemical, pharmaceutical, paper, and fertilizer industries. In India, only 8% of the limestone resources are placed under the reserve category, of which 97% is of cement grade. Thus, India depends on imports to bridge the demand‐supply gap of steel, blast furnace, and chemical‐grade limestone. Efforts of Geological Survey of India (GSI) to locate alternate sources for limestone led to the discovery of enormous quantities of carbonate minerals called limemud from the continental shelf margin of the west coast of India. GSI carried out systematic studies to explore the nature of the disposition, quality, quantity, and suitability of the offshore limemud for various industrial applications. A preliminary estimate of resources using high‐resolution subbottom profiling and sediment core sample studies established the occurrence of more than 172 billion tonnes of high‐grade (The content of CaCO3 is greater than 80 wt%) limemud in 0.4–28.0 m thick stratified sediment layers spread over an area of 18 000 km2. Chemical, physical, mineralogical, beneficiation, and agglomeration studies found the offshore limemud as a potential replacement for limestone in the cement, filler, blast furnace, steel melting shop, lime production, paint, and Grade‐I steel industries. An assessment of mining and transportation costs indicates that the offshore limemud (USD 5–6/ton) is more cost‐effective than that imported from other countries (USD16‐18/ton). With several advantageous factors like low impurity, mode of occurrence in overburden‐free stratified form, fine‐grained slurry nature, and shallow water depth, sustainable mining of offshore limemud could be a future reality with controllable technological, economic, and environmental challenges.
Engineering geology. Rock mechanics. Soil mechanics. Underground construction
Subhransu Dhar, Teresa Liberto, Catherine Barentin
et al.
The dynamic yield stress associated with the flow cessation of cement pastes is measured using a rheometer equipped with various shear geometries such as vane, helical, sandblasted co-axial cylinders, and serrated parallel plates, as well as with the mini-cone spread test. Discrepancies in yield stress values are observed for cement pastes at various volume fractions, with one to two orders of magnitude difference between vane, helical and mini-cone spread measurements on the one hand, and co-axial cylinder and parallel plate measurements on the other hand. To understand this discrepancy, the flow profile of a cement paste in the parallel-plate geometry is investigated with a high-speed camera, revealing the rapid formation of an un-sheared band near the static bottom plate. The width of this band depends upon the rotational velocity of the top plate, and upon the shear time. Recalculation of shear stress shows that the reduced sheared gap alone cannot explain the low measured yield stress. Further exploration suggests the formation of zones with lower particle content, possibly linked to cement particle sedimentation. Here, we argue that the complex nature of cement pastes, composed of negatively buoyant non-Brownian particles with attractive interactions due to highly charged nano-size hydration products, accounts for their complex rheological behavior.
Cement is an essential construction material due to its ability to flow before later setting, however the rheological properties must be tightly controlled. Despite this, much understanding remains empirical. Using a combination of continuous and oscillatory shear flow, we compare fresh Portland cement suspensions to previous measurements on model non-Brownian suspensions to gain a micro-physical understanding. Comparing steady and small-amplitude oscillatory shear, we reveal two distinct jamming concentrations, $φ_μ$ and $φ_{\rm rcp}$, where the respective yield stresses diverge. As in model suspensions, the steady-shear jamming point is notably below the oscillatory jamming point, $φ_μ < φ_{\rm rcp}$, suggesting that it is tied to frictional particle contacts. These results indicate that recently established models for the rheology of frictional, adhesive non-Brownian suspensions can be applied to fresh cement pastes, offering a new framework to understand the role of additives and fillers. Such micro-physical understanding can guide formulation changes to improve performance and reduce environmental impact.
Jan Lorenz Svensen, Wilson Ricardo Leal da Silva, John Bagterp Jørgensen
We present an index-1 differential-algebraic equation (DAE) model for dynamic simulation of a calciner in the pyro-section of a cement plant. The model is based on first engineering principles and integrates reactor geometry, thermo-physical properties, transport phenomena, stoichiometry and kinetics, mass and energy balances, and algebraic volume and internal energy equations in a systematic manner. The model can be used for dynamic simulation of the calciner. We also provide simulation results that are qualitatively correct. The calciner model is part of an overall model for dynamical simulation of the pyro-section in a cement plant. This model can be used in design of control and optimization systems to improve the energy efficiency and \ce{CO2} emission from cement plants.